Contax Zeiss Survival Guide

[Nick Morrison]

Has anyone done a comparison between the 4/80-200 and the 3,5/200 at 200mm and f/4?

I have them both, and have not. But if you look at the MTF charts, it appears they should be very similar, with the zoom maybe being a tad sharper. The prime I believe is a very old design. Whereas the Zoom was much newer by comparison. The 80-200 is superb.

That said, I think the 200mm prime has a nice "look" to it. Though Brice did notice his copy had more CA than one would expect. Considering how old this design appears to be, also not surprising...

 

[Piotr Renes]

Piotr, those look like fantastically OLD lenses. I'm not sure how old, but my guess would be the early 60's? These most likely cover Academy 35 (ie 4K MX, 4.5K Dragon). Though being these are longer lenes (50 and 85), they could even cover full Dragon 6K (most teles do).

These most likely have very minimal gentle coatings, that should be both quite lowcon and flare A LOT. Love to see how these look on digital!!!

Fingers crossed they're clean! They certainly look pretty good?

My guess is they have the same, wonerful serrated "saw tooth" aperture blades mine do.

Love to see footage with these! WOW!!

PS to give you some context on these, Zeiss had traditionally made T2 cinema lenses for quite some time. Arguably the most FAMOUS version of these were the modern STANDARD PRIMES (usually serials in 6's and 7's):

16 T2 Distagon
24 T2 Distagon
32 T2 Distagon
50 T2 Sonnar
85 T2 Sonnar

But older versions/variants of these lenses/designs had been around for a long time (the Standard Primes appear to have been modernized UPDATES of them)...so I believe that's what you have...very old cousins of the Standard Primes!!

Of course, eventually the ULTRAPRIMES replaced the STANDARD PRIMES.

But the STANDARDS are still well loved. They were used last year on AMERICAN HUSTLE and also CAPTAIN PHILLIPS!!

Hope this helps!!

Thanks Nick for this info. Unfortunatly I have not played with them, was going to do so one day but it will not gonna to happen because I decided to move for Sony FF (just sold Fuji X-E2) and to buy A7/A7R successor (hope it will be shown on January) with Zeiss AF lenses, so decided to sell both of them to get some founds. Yes, they look pretty well with clear glasses, probably not used much, glasses are great - free of scratches, fungus, haze or separation, coatings look to me exellent too, I see only a few particles of dust in 85/2 which probably can be cleaned because rear element can be screw out? - I see there a small mounting ring. Aperture ring at 50/2 moves like a butter, in the 85/2 one I feel just a little bit resistance in a few places on the way but seems it can also be fixed to get perfection move.

Two days ago I played with Distagon C/Y 25/2.8 on A7 borrowed from a friend of mine and noticed vignette on all images I have taken. Is this common on A7 with WA Zeiss or it's just a cheap Chinese adapter that was used and could caused it?

Have you considered a Metabones SpeedBooster?
I use one with my x-e1 and c/y Contax Zeiss lenses.

Phil, no, I have not used Metabones SpeedBooster (used Kippon adapter), I was going to try it but finally I decided to part with Fuji and to go for FF.

 

[Uli Plank]

Has anyone done a comparison between the 4/80-200 and the 3,5/200 at 200mm and f/4?

I tested the prime against the 180mm Sonnar 1:2.8 and liked that one much better – a huge chunk of glass, though. I can imagine that it's a good as the zoom, though.

 

[Uli Plank]

Hi Piotr,

no, it's not your adapter. These older wides vignette quite a bit on full frame photo, the 28mm does it even more. This is part of the look of the lenses of that era – you can appreciate it or hate it…

Of course, on a smaller sensor – even the Dragon – vignetting is negligible.

Here's a citation from slrlensreview , which is from a photographer's point of view…

"For a moderately wide lens, the 35mm Distagon showed normal handling of vignetting. That is on a full frame camera the lens showed moderate amount of light falloff at f/2.8, continuously improving with stopped down aperture, until vignetting was gone by f/5.6. On an APS-C body the lens showed negligible to non-existent amount of vignetting even at f/2.8 - the smaller sensor that does not cover the imaging circle of the lens gives the APS-C bodies an advantage here. Generally speaking, these days vignetting can be relatively easily corrected in many cameras or in imaging applications like Adobe's Photoshop."

 

[DAVID BARKAN]

Hey Nick! Love the stuff you've been posting. Congrats!! =)

I was just catching up on the latest discussions, btw is this the largest topic on Reduser? =) I see some very cool stuff people have been working their Contaxes with, quite amazing the following it's been getting in the past couple of years.

---

This is one latest gig I shot with my Contaxes: This was the first time I shot a Wedding, so I thought I'd experiment. I had two Panasonic GH3s that day with me, so I asked a friend to join me. I handed him the 28-85mm with a standard adapter (not a speedbooster) and a set of sticks so he would be my cover, and I had a Panasonic 12-35 on me that I thought would be useful... but after 10min of walking around with it, it didn't feel right. So I thought I'd experiment and use one glass for the whole day, I picked up my Contax 35mm f/1.4 with the speedbooster and that's what I sticked with. It was very creatively liberating I was just walking around the guests and grabbing shots, just really documenting the event. The only moment that I swapped lenses was for the party, the interior shots were all shot with the 50mm f/1.4. Tech specs after the video. I mostly shot it @f2.8-4 but there's a few shots closer to the end of the day that I went for the 1.4 look you'll spot the difference in texture I believe.

Link: https://vimeo.com/110543721

This is just a trailer I put together with a purchased track for public viewing, If anyone is interested to see more of the Contax 35mm f/1.4 in action there's a 20min first cut available here: https://vimeo.com/106879016 pwd: carolelu ,this one I'm going to re-edit at a later date to the couples requirements.

Tech specs:
Cam A Panasonic GH3 - Custom Flat Neutral PProfile - Metabones Speedbooster C/Y - MFT - Daylight Contax 35mm f/1.4 + Tiffen NDIR 1.2+.3 (Except for make up and hair shots Panasonic 12-35mm) Night 50mm f/1.4 - Most of the video is this camera that you'll see
Cam B Panasonic GH3 - Custom Flat Neutral PProfile - Standard Adapter C/Y - MFT - Contax 28-85mm f/3.3-4 + ND .9 - This is the Groom shots during the wedding, I believe it's easy to spot the difference in texture and render

- Edited in Premiere Pro CC - Graded with Filmconvert

Cheers!

 

[Nick Morrison]

David the wedding video looks GORGEOUS!!!! Congrats!!! The flares are STUNNING! Love them! Awesome, awesome job across the board!!

 

[DAVID BARKAN]

Thanks man!
And I think it's a pretty good example of what you can achieve with the 35mm f/1.4, I always knew this was a great lens, but after this day I was absolutely sold. The Distagon design is quite amazing. Now I'm saving up for either an 18mm or a 21mm, I really need a wide angle.

 

[Chris McKechnie]

Thanks man!
And I think it's a pretty good example of what you can achieve with the 35mm f/1.4, I always knew this was a great lens, but after this day I was absolutely sold. The Distagon design is quite amazing. Now I'm saving up for either an 18mm or a 21mm, I really need a wide angle.

It looks good David...just watch when the flare comes in (without showing the source/sun) and wipes all the contrast in the image. Most of the contax line doesn't have hoods, so I've resorted to gaff tape for gimbal work. Works like a charm and is very quick to deploy.

 

[Nick Morrison]

Here's something for Halloween that owes some style choices and a debt of gratitude to Nick and this thread.
Shot with Dragon on 6K HD using Contax Zeiss Primes and the Sigma 35mm ART through HBM filters. Posted in Premiere, AE, Resolve and Samplitude.

It's a slow burning chiller, so be patient

Happy Halloween, guys.

Hey Paul this looks terrific!!! What strength HBM? 1/2?

FYI you can call Schnieder directly and order smaller strengths of HBM if you ever need them. I know retail they only sell 77mm 1/2 and 1, but I often wanted weaker....so turns out you can call them directly and get those! I went ahead and got some 1/4 and 1/8, which have come in SUPER handy.

Again - amazing job!!!

best

 

[Nick Morrison]

It looks good David...just watch when the flare comes in (without showing the source/sun) and wipes all the contrast in the image. Most of the contax line doesn't have hoods, so I've resorted to gaff tape for gimbal work. Works like a charm and is very quick to deploy.

Hey Chris, I'm actually beta-testing an 80-OD, 77mm thread head HOOD from Schneider (I'd asked them if they could make something like that...we use a modest solution all the time, but are looking for something more robust...and they surprised me by sending me out a beta model!!). I'm hoping to give them feedback this week, and optimistic it will work well on all smaller primes like Contax etc, and ideal for gimabal work/ handheld too.

I'll keep ya posted.

 

[Chris McKechnie]

Hey Chris, I'm actually beta-testing an 80-OD, 77mm thread head HOOD from Schneider (I'd asked them if they could make something like that...we use a cheap version all the time, but are looking for something more robust...and they surprised me by sending me out a beta model!!). I'm hoping to give them feedback this week, and optimistic it will work well on all smaller primes like Contax etc, and great for gimabal work/ handheld.

I'll keep ya posted.

Nice and please do sir!

 

[Nick Morrison]

Hey Nick! Love the stuff you've been posting. Congrats!! =)
I was just catching up on the latest discussions, btw is this the largest topic on Reduser? =) I see some very cool stuff people have been working their Contaxes with, quite amazing the following it's been getting in the past couple of years.

PS David thanks for the kind words! My new production company website is up, all shot on Contax. The small size and great look of Contax glass has been such a huge help and bonus!

www.smallgiant.tv

This Contax thread has been such a wonderful surprise, and speaks volumes about how passionate we all are! Filmmaking is a collaborative experience, and this thread is such a great example of that! Can't wait to see what you all do with these wonderful vintage primes!

best

 

[Stephen_G]

Here there is mentioned Sonnar 85/2 with serial No. 3199927

this lens has an iris collar that is normally found in rehoused lenses. it looks like the lens head was removed from some other housing, possibly for anamorphic or animation shooting

 

[Paul Russell]

Hey Paul this looks terrific!!! What strength HBM? 1/2?

FYI you can call Schnieder directly and order smaller strengths of HBM if you ever need them. I know retail they only sell 77mm 1/2 and 1, but I often wanted weaker....so turns out you can call them directly and get those! I went ahead and got some 1/4 and 1/8, which have come in SUPER handy.

Again - amazing job!!!

best

Hi Nick

Thanks for watching. I know 16 minutes is a lot out of anybody's time these days.

I used different strengths of HBM dependent on the focal length. So 60mm and 85mm got 1, 35mm got 1/2, and 21mm got 1/4 strength, all 5.65 filters in the matte box. Looking back at it I think I should have had 1/2 strength on the 21mm as that living room shot around 8 minutes in seems a lot sharper than the others. We shot over three nights with a three man crew including the director, so I didn't get as many chances to step back and smell the coffee as I should have had. But we do these things for the experience and this was a good one. Thanks again.

 

[DAVID BARKAN]

It looks good David...just watch when the flare comes in (without showing the source/sun) and wipes all the contrast in the image. Most of the contax line doesn't have hoods, so I've resorted to gaff tape for gimbal work. Works like a charm and is very quick to deploy.

Yeah, I usually use the same simple solution that Nick recommended (Cavision Hood) but in this case I was going for a "vintage" aesthetic, I wanted to flare the hell out of this piece.

Hey Paul this looks terrific!!! What strength HBM? 1/2?

FYI you can call Schnieder directly and order smaller strengths of HBM if you ever need them. I know retail they only sell 77mm 1/2 and 1, but I often wanted weaker....so turns out you can call them directly and get those! I went ahead and got some 1/4 and 1/8, which have come in SUPER handy.

Again - amazing job!!!

best

You are kidding right? That's awesome!! The 1/2 is a bit strong for most cases, but a 1/4 would be ideal.

Hey Chris, I'm actually beta-testing an 80-OD, 77mm thread head HOOD from Schneider (I'd asked them if they could make something like that...we use a modest solution all the time, but are looking for something more robust...and they surprised me by sending me out a beta model!!). I'm hoping to give them feedback this week, and optimistic it will work well on all smaller primes like Contax etc, and ideal for gimabal work/ handheld too.

I'll keep ya posted.

Wow! Please let us know. I'd be very interested in something like that. The Cavision Hood is nice but for longer lenses is kind os useless, would be great to have something that could be "configurable" for longer and shorter lenses, if that makes any sense portable wise.

 

[Nick Morrison]

You are kidding right? That's awesome!! The 1/2 is a bit strong for most cases, but a 1/4 would be ideal.

Agreed. Often an 1/8 or 1/4 HBM are perfect. We actually found a 1/8 helped match our Sigma 18-35 to out Contax Glass pretty nicely!

Wow! Please let us know. I'd be very interested in something like that. The Cavision Hood is nice but for longer lenses is kind os useless, would be great to have something that could be "configurable" for longer and shorter lenses, if that makes any sense portable wise.

Yes very excited and suprised by this. Schnieder is a superb company. We're giving it a trial run I hope this week!

best

 

[DAVID BARKAN]

Hey Nick, how do you feel about the Zeiss Jena Flektogon 20mm f/4 "Zebra" would it match relatively well with the Contaxes? There's one for sell down here in Brazil and since I'm going out to shoot a documentary next week, thought I'd invest and bring it with me.

 

[Uli Plank]

If you allow me to jump on this, even if I'm not Nick: The Eastern Zeiss lenses were very different in glass and coatings availbale to them. They were based on the same optical designs, though.

If you find a good sample, it's a very nice lens, but the look will be different. Plus, check it carefully, the sample variation was considerable and good ones are quite sought after these days. Many have seen poor servicing too.

 

[DAVID BARKAN]

If you allow me to jump on this, even if I'm not Nick: The Eastern Zeiss lenses were very different in glass and coatings availbale to them. They were based on the same optical designs, though.

If you find a good sample, it's a very nice lens, but the look will be different. Plus, check it carefully, the sample variation was considerable and good ones are quite sought after these days. Many have seen poor servicing too.

Thanks for the feedback Uli, I asked Nick because I think he might own one. For its price and description it seems like a good copy, he claims it was taken to service recently for "cleaning" whatever that means. I need a wide angle prime and Contax is impossible to find around here. M42 is my best choice since I can adapt it to Contax mount and use it with the speed booster for my GH4.

Any other suggestions? =/

 

[Uli Plank]

Cleaning, if not done professionally, could have ruined their coatings. They were quite soft, so watch out.

Another option might be Olympus glass. The 21mm 3.5 has a good reputation and is really small. The OM flange distance is 0.5mm longer than Contax C/Y, so there should be adapters.